Cheap and affordable, the TooGoodToGo app is seen amongst food vendors and customers as an efficient way to both reduce food waste and tackle climate change, providing community members with sustainable meals in the form of six-dollar Surprise Bags.

This social impact app helps with saving food and the environment, but it can also help students save money. Establishments such as IKEA, Krispy Kreme, and California Fish and Grill, all local to Mt. SAC, have joined the app in creating these meaningful goody bags.

After hearing about TooGoodToGo from peers, Arghenis Lopez shared his experience with learning about the potential of this app.
Lopez is a full-time student at Mt. SAC with a part-time job, and said that he is interested in the app for discounted food. “As a college student, it is important for me to limit my spending,” he said.

The second-year college student also emphasized the importance of a good meal to fuel his brain for his exams.
Lopez navigated the TooGoodToGo app and scouted some potential places like Duke Bakery and Avalon Bagels to Burgers. “They do scheduling, and if the place is nearby I could totally stop by for lunch,” Lopez said.

Arghenis would need to act quick because these six dollar Surprise Bags are only available around two to three times a day per location. The bags tend to get claimed fast if it is a popular joint and have to be reserved via the TooGoodToGo app prior to pickup.

The TooGoodToGo app was created in 2016 to give a purpose to restaurant food that would go to waste at the end of the day. According to the TooGoodToGo website, the app’s business model goes off a “win-win” basis to ensure all parties are benefiting from the app’s services. TooGoodToGo was also intended to fight climate change by limiting food waste. “Reducing food waste is the number one action you can take to help tackle climate change,” the app’s website states.

TooGoodToGo is also beneficial for the businesses involved as it helps them deal with the burden of eliminating food waste. Avalon Bagels to Burgers locations fill bags of leftover bagels for their Surprise Bag.

Mitch, store owner at Avalon Bagels to Burgers in Placentia, said that the app makes it easy for the restaurant workers as well.
When asked about the money-saving aspect of the app, Mitch said, “It’s so easy and inexpensive. It’s really a win-win for us.”